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Why hopes of Irish deal are floundering

Henry Zeffman, Oliver Wright

What is the issue at stake?British and EU negotiators have spent the past few weeks attempting to come up with a form of words that satisfies, or at least fudges, two diametrically opposed demands. The Irish government, which has a veto over moving the talks on, wants to ensure that regardless of the shape of any eventual Brexit deal there is no return to a hard border for goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic. In practical terms, they are demanding Northern Ireland continues to accept EU rules and regulations after Brexit even if the rest of the UK diverges.

Why is that a problem?The Democratic Unionist Party, whose votes Theresa May relies on to keep her minority government afloat, is adamantly opposed to…